FoxyChess › Checkmates › Epaulette Mate
Epaulette Mate
The king is stuck between two of its own pieces on either side, like the epaulettes on a uniform's shoulders. A queen checks from two squares straight in front and covers everything else.
How to spot it
A king sitting between its own rooks (or other pieces) on the back rank is in danger from any queen check straight down the file.
How it arises
The king stands on the back rank between its own rooks, or between a rook and a bishop, often after a rook has been forced to recapture next to the king. The queen checks from two squares in front.
A worked example
1.Qxe6#. The rooks on d8 and f8 block their own king, and the queen covers d7, e7 and f7.
How to defend against it
Don't leave your king hemmed in between two of your own pieces on the back rank. Move one rook, or give the king a square in front of it.
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